NEW ZEALAND WINES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21406, 6 August 1931, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND WINES.

The Licensing Bill, introduced into the House of Representatives by Mr Mason, member for Eden, and referred to the Industries and Commerce Committee after its second reading, proposes to amend the licensing law in such a way as would free the winegrowing industry in New Zealand from the handicap of disabilities under which it has so far existed. The restrictions placed upon the sale and distribution of New Zealand wines by the Licensing

Act of 1914 had the effect of confining the trade in the produce of local vineyards to the very limited business which the grower himself was in a position to conduct from the comparative isolation of his personal headquarters. He is prohibited from cooperating with any other person or agency in the marketing of his wines, and in addition the law requires that he shall constitute himself to all intents and purposes a wholesale dealer and refrain from selling less than two gallons of wine in a single transaction. The Bill that is now before Parliament aims at the removal of these restrictions and proposes to allow the grower to sell one reputed quart to a single customer. It. further provides that the grower and manufacturer of wine shall be entitled to establish distributing agencies under license elsewhere than in the immediate district in which his winegrower’s license is operative. In brief, the Bill aims at facilitating the marketing of a local product in circumstances that will enable it to compete on more equal terms than at present with the large quantities of wine which are imported from overseas. It may be said to represent a practical effort to apply , the principle of buying New Zealand made goods to the winegrowing industry. Mr Barnard made the plea, in the course of the second reading debate, that the Bill should be regarded entirely on its merits and that the discussion should not be reduced to one on the principle of prohibition. Unfortunately there is a tendency, whenever a proposal that has any bearing at all on the licensing question is brought before Parliament, to treat it as though it involves in its entirety the issue of the continuance or abolition of licenses. To do so in this particular instance is to lose sight of the principal object of the measure, namely, to encourage a local industry which has so far been carried on under disadvantageous conditions. The fear expressed by several members in the debate on Tuesday night that the enactment of the Bill might result in a marked increase in wine consumption reflects only the personal opinion of those who entertain it. But if it did have this result, and if at the same time ' there was a corresponding reduction in the consumption of heavy malt liquors and fiery spirits, it would be difficult to argue that this would not be to the benefit of, the community. Upon the whole, the Bill possesses features which seem to give it some claim upon the favourable consideration of Parliament and the public.

The secretary of the Otago Motor' CJud advises that with the exception of the Outram-Deep Stream-Middlemarch route, which is still impassable, all main roads in Otago and Southland are now clear.

On the arrival of the ChristchurchInvercargill through goods train at Dunedin yesterday morning, it was found that the roof, of one of the big WV wagons, which are used for conveying oysters from Bluff, had disappeared. Investigation revealed that a strong gust of wind, experienced about two miles north of Hampden, had removed the top, and with such force as to break the telephone wires in the vicinity. A remarkable feature of the occurrence is that the wagon, presenting such a large surface to the wind as it did, was not blown completely off the track.

In the City Police Court yesterday, Lewis Friend appeared before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., and pleaded guilty to being unlawfully in possession of an automatic pistol. Chief Detective Quartermain stated that the police had been informed that the defendant was carrying a pistol about with him, and on a search being made of his residence, the firearm was found in a suitcase. He admitted being-in possession of the pistol, but he denied that he had carried it about with him, explaining that it really belonged to his wife to whom it had been given by a seaman in Wellington. Mr White, who appeared for the defendant, stated that he was a motor engineer by trade, and had come from England about two years previously. After working at his trade for some time, he went to Australia, leaving his wife in Wellington, and it was during his absence that she, being afraid to remain alone in her rooms, had obtained the pistol from a sea man friend. The defendant maintained that until about a month ago he did not know that she had the pistol, and tlue story seemed to be borne out by the fact that no ammunition had been found with it. He denied emphatically that he had ever carried the pistol, and it was suggested that this information had been tendered to the police by some acquaintances who had a grudge against the defendant. The defendant had good references from everyone in whose employ he had been since coming to New Zealand, and if he were given time he could get further evidence as to his good character. The magistrate expressed himself as dissatisfied with the defendant’s explanation, and pointed out that it was a matter of considerable concern at the present time that a man should be in possession of a lethal weapon. The defendant was remanded for a week to allow further inquiries to be made, bail being allowed in his own recognisance of £2O conditional on his reporting daily to the police.

A correspondent has sent to us an advertisement of New Zealand lamb cut from the Glasgow Bulletin of June 6, showing the attractive and bold manner in which this commodity was brought to the notice of Scottish people. “ The next thing,” the correspondent writes, “ is for our exporters in New Zealand to ship direct to Glasgow, the natural distributing centre for Scotland and Northern England. The quality of the lamb will do the rest! ”

Or Shaddock, chairman of the Finance Committee of the City Council, stated at the meeting of the council last night that the decision of Parliament by which the rate of interest payable by local authorities on new loan money obtained after August 1 was to be reduced had had the effect of creating considerable activity in the loan market for the last few days of the month of July. The City Corporation had been engaged in filling up the Waipori dam construction loan at the time, and by the end of July all Ihe available debentures had been disposed of, .well over £71,000 having been received. Any further loan money offering would be placed in the Drainage Board loan for 15 years with interest at the new’ rate of 6 per cent.

> Dr H. Crichton-Miller, the Harley street nerve specialist, addressing a conference on mental health at the Central Hall, Westminster, said that the phase of civilisation we had reached had uncovered a large amount of marital discord. This, had existed previously, but, owing to pressure of religious authority and public opinion, had been carefully kept secret. “When the parental ideal has waned," he continued, “ the mere mating aspect of marriage has been inadequate to take its place, and the stability of the marriage bond has suffered in consequence. Thus we see that in the important sphere of marital relations the inexorable demands of civilisation' are again responsible for much discord. The small family is the product of economic pressure, and at the same time the cause of diminished harmo«y and stability in marriage."

Quite recently an appeal was made to the citizens of Dunedin to purchase Samoan bananas for the reason that the New Zealand Government is anxious to' encourage the growing of bananas in this territory and also because the trade is the means of providing Dunedin with a direct shipping service to Samoa, thereby ensuring' regular and abundant supplies of this wholesome and delicious fruit. It is pleasing to be able to report a gratifying response to the appeal. A number of leading fruiterers eay that the sale of Samoan bananas has increased from 25 to 30 per cent., and that consumers are delighted with the quality, flavour, and freshness of the fruit and the reasonable prices charged. Regular supplies of cheap, wholesome fruit are a great factor in the health and contentment of the community, and it is hoped that for the sake of all, the sale of, Samoan bananas will continue to increase. i

There was a good demand for all classes of sheep at the Burnside sales yesterday, and values for prime lots showed an advance of Is and Is 0d per head. The demand for fat cattle was much weaker, and prices declined from 20s to 25s per head. There was little demand for store cattle, but all classes of pigs met with a brisk sale, porkers and baconers being sold at an advance of 5s per head. The fat cattle entry of 230 head included a large sprinkling of plain animate and a few pens of extra good quality" bullocks. Heavy bullocks sold to £l9, medium to £l6 10s, light to ill 10s; heavy heifers to £9, medium to £7 10s, light to £6; heavy cows to £9 10s, medium to £7 10s, and light to £6 15s. About 1800 sheep were offered. The yarding was of fair to prime quality, and included a few heavy open-wool wethers. The. proportion of line wool sheep was large, including about 209 very fair hoggests and some prime merino wethers. The sale opened with a good demand for all classes. Extra prime wethers sold to 26s 3d, prime to 23s 3d, medium to 17s, and light 13s 3d; prime ewes to 17s 6d, medium to 14a, light to 12s. ' Merinos sold to 11s 9d, prime hoggets to 18s Cd, and medium to 14s. About 50 store cattle were penned. The yarding included one pen of steers, the balance being cows. There was no change in prices. The pig entry consisted of 63 fats and 30 stores. All classes met with a keen demand. Prime porkers sold at prices equivalent to 6jd and prime baconers sjd per lb. A Press Association telegram from Christchurch states, that a 10 per cent, cut on wages, salaries, and allowances as from August 1 was decided upon by the Lyttelton Harbour Board yesterday. Exception is made of employees earning £IOO per annum and less, and of the special daily rate paid to employees engaged on diving work. Between £3OOO and £4OOO will be saved, and the Einance Committee is to make a report to the next jneeting of the board as to the disposal of this money.

Cr A. H. Allen stated at the meeting of the City Counfcil last night that there appeared to be an impression that the areas at Mount Cargill, Flagstaff,- and Signal Hill were the property of the city. That was not so—they were Crown lands and belonged to the Government. The Government made regulations dealing with the destruction of noxious weeds, etc., on certain areas, but it did not apply them to its own reserves. The city might take over the areas he had mentioned in the near future, because the Government had requested it to do so, but the city, if it did take them over, had no intention of interfering with the native bush. t) The statement had been made that the City Council intended to plant trees to within two chains of the crest of Flagstaff, but there was no intention of planting trees to within anything up to 30 chains from the crest. Cr Allen referred to the danger of fire breaking out in the manuka in these Crown areas and ,spreading to the city plantations, and said the public could rest assured that the council would carry out its work in the best interests of the city.

Even if Mr Lang cannot do so, some people in Australia are finding money. Early this year one John Arnold, of London, shook hands with his relatives at Tilbury docks. “ I’m oS for gold, he said. Less than four months later he placed a ,bag of nuggets, weighing 750 z, on the counter of the Commonwealth Bank at Rockhampton, Queensland. Arnold was a miner from Mount Morgan with 40 years’ experience, and the other two members of his party, lYilson and MTnery, were -also men of practical knowledge. They quickly got on to gold in grain form at Keith’s Hill, Canoona, Queensland, and followed up a seam Arnold got into thf hole, and soon handed up to Wilson a slab 15in long, sin wide, and up to an inch in thickness. It weighed more than 21b. In all /soz of gold were picked up after this shot. News of such a rich strike soon spread, and on - Tuesday, July 21, 100 claims were pegged out by lamplight within 12 hours. Arnold declared there was gold all oyer the country, but said it existed, only for those who knew where to find it. He and his party were smart enough to buy the Canoona Hotel, a few miles from the strike, and now cannot supply accommodation to all its would-be tenants.

Despite the vagaries of the season it would appear that at least one gardener in Dunedin has succeeded in flying so far in the face of Nature as to induce bus strawberry plants to produce well developed, ripe fruit with the frost hardly out of the ground and the snow still lying on the surrounding hills. Mr N. G. Williams, of North-East Valley, has in his garden strawberry plants of the Ettersburg variety which are at present bearing ripe fruit of average quality and size. While this would be a decidedly unusual happening in any circumstances, this defiance of the winter’s rigours by one of the most delicate of fruits js made all the more remarkable by the fact that it is claimed-that the plants received no special treatment in any way; and that the fruit was brought to maturity in the open without the aid of . shelter or glass. The grower himself is at a complete loss to account for this apparent - freak of Nature. /

The possibility of a settlement being reached with regard to the trade situation between Canada and New Zealand is indicated in a telegram received from the Prime Minister (Mr G. W. Forbes) by Mr A. J. Wilson, secretary of the Canadian' British Traders’ Association. In this telegram Mr Forbes says (reports a Press Association telegram from Auckland) that he has received a communication from the - Canadian Government, and will make a statement on the position as soon as possible.

The death occurred of the Maori chieftainess Pirihira Peina, aged 110 years, at Kai Iwi. near Wanganui, Saturday. Mrs Peina had lived at Kai Iwi alj her life, but had witnessed all phases of the Maori wars on the coast. Her father was chief of his tribe and fought with the loyal Natives for the Government during the Maori wars. He was well known on the coast. There were a number of children, all of whom are dead, but many grandchildren and greatgrandchildren survive. So far as can be seen at present, the higher excise duty on New Zealandbrewed beer, which now stands ,at Is 6d a gallon instead of Is, will almost certainly be passed on, in part, at least, to the consumer (says the New Zealand Herald). . The question will not be settled, however, until a conference has been held by representatives of the brewing interests throughout New Zealand. “ The excessive increase of 6d a gallon is equal, to 27s a hogshead,” stated Sir Alfred Bankart, speaking on behalf of New Zealand Breweries, Ltd. “Obviously such a charge cannot be borne by either the brewers or the hotelkeepers. How to adjust the increase is a very difficult problem, and one which will require very serious thought. Every consideration will be given to avoid any increase in retail price, but at present it would seem inevitable that any adjustment must weigh heavily upon the consumer.”

Fire broke out in a four-roomed wooden house at 130 Bay View roajt South Dunedin, at an early hour yesterday morning, and the City Fire Brigade ' was called to the scene at 2.30. When the machines arrived the fire had a strong hold, and before a save could be made, the greater part of the interior of tha house had been severely damaged. Tha cause of the outbreak is unknown, but it appeared to have orginated near the kitchen range. The house, which was owfied and occupied by Mr T. Spinks, was insured in the Victoria Office for £250 and the contents whre covered in the same office for £SO. The brigade was called to 74 St. Andrew street at 5.55 p.m. yesterday to attend a chimney fire which was extinguished before-any damage was done.

Settlers in the Tantawanglo Mountains, out from Candelo, New South Wales, are organising a great hunt for a huge catlike animal that has terrified at least a dozen perfectly sober and respectable persons within the past two years. Some declare it is a tiger, and others a lioness, but no one has yht had sufficient courage to vrait and make a detailed examination. The latest to catch a glimpse of it is Mr Erie Britten, son of a Tantawanglo farmer. While he was setting traps along the Tantawanglo Creek, his horse suddenly bolted. Looking up, he saw what he declares was a great, tawnycoloured cat crouching a few yards awaj*. The animal stood fully 3ft Gin high, according to Mr Britten, and had a large round head, which it carried like a cat, drooped below its shoulders. The next day Mr Britten and a party found tracks made by cat-like pawe as large as a pan’s palm;

It was stated in a message which appeared on Tuesday morning that in the opinion 'of the Associated Chambers of Commerce a tax on the profits of public body trading operations would produce £IO,OOO. This amount (says a Press Association telegram from Wellington) ' should have been £150,000.

Decided hostility to the raising of money for Government social services by means of lotteries was voiced by the Minister of Health (Mr A. ■J. Stallworthy) in addressing members of the Palmerston North Rotary Club at their last weekly luncheon. It was being suggested, the Minister said, that a State lottery should be established to provide funds for hospital work —in other words, the abrogation of constitutional methods for a gambler’s dice. It had been stated that £2,000,000 had been subscribed in the Irish Free State lottery; but owing to the heavy expenses, only £700,000 had been available for the hospitals. In New Zealand the cost of art unions had been very high, ranging from 40 to 50 per cent., and if the people were to throw overboard constitutional methods of raising funds, easily one-half of. the money forthcoming could be swallowed up in expenses. “Ifwe as a community, 1 Mr Stallworthy went on, “ deliberately countenance or assist in raising money for public utilities other than by a constitutional way. we are helping, even though it may bo unconsciously, to break down those fundamental principles of industry and thrift. If we come to rely on the services of others, maybe a brother or a sister, or an institution, or the Govern-.-, ment, or if we teach our children to rely on others, we will break down the selxdependence of our race and do nothing ( else than wreck the Empire to which we belong.”

Submitting that the law presumed a wife to have her husband’s authority to makes the necessary purchases for a house, v Mr D. C. D’Arcy, for the Good Housekeeping Association; Ltd. (in liquidation) applied for judgment in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday (reports our special correspondent) against Walter E. Chown (Mr J. L. Stewart) for £4 10s, the balance owing on a patent, waterless cooker bought-by his wife from the .association. Mr T. B. M'Neil, S.M., gave judgment for the defendant, saying he wag satisfied that the cooker was not a necessity, and' moreover, that he. could not find that there.had. been ;any, .ratification of the. purchase on the part of the husband. The evidence which had been called showed that the cooker had been sold to Mrs Chown, who had paid 17e 6d deposit, but had' made no further payTo a letter from the association she replied'that her husband would not eat the food that had been cooked in the appliance. The husband, when inter- , viewed, said that his wife would not use the cooker, and that he was not in a position to pay for it. He would like the association to take the cooker back.

Thorough agreement with the statement recently made by the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, with regard to the bookmaker was expressed by Mr W. 1 Howard Booth, president of the Carterton Racing Club, speaking at the annual meeting of the club. Mr Booth said it, seemed to him absolutely farcical that bookmakers and their agents in every village throughout the length and breadth y 'of the country should be allowed to ' operate • and flout the laws of the State. If the money with or without, shall I » say, legitimate taxation, were placed on the totalisator, racing clubs, many of them at any rate, would not be in the wretched position they are in to-day,” said Mr Booth. In his opinion, he added, the telegraphing of money to the totalisator would largely obviate “this miserable practice.” In every part of the country there were hundreds of people unable to attend race meetings who, desiring to make modest investments, debarred by the State from doing so. ®

Showing commendable enterprise (says the Christchurch Press), a German ftfm of booksellers from Munich is circularising the Defence Department, , New £ea- ( land, for the sale of the latest books dealing with tanks, similar heavily-arm-oured weapons, and aircraft. A small package addressed to “ The Infantry Headquarters at Christchurch, Neu Seeland,” has been forwarded to the Christchurch office of the department. It contained two illustrated pamphlets m German, the first dealing with the latest improvements in tanks and similar heavilyarmoured weapons, and the other with up-to-date types of aircraft. Illustrations were included of big caterpillar tanks with guns projecting on all sides, of swift multi-wheeled tanks ascending steep inclines, of tanks crossing rivers on rows of trestles, or vast six-wheeled armoured cars, and of armoured vehicles designed to run o n railway lines. The latest types of aircraft were elaborately pictured.

On Saturday evening Mr Charles A. Martin will give his final organ recital in the Maori Hill, Presbyterian Church. He will be assisted by Mr Maitiand M'Cutcheon (violinist). Signor Giovanni Stella (tenor), and Master Lex McDonald (soprano). An attractive programme has been arranged. , Save your eyes. Be wise, and consult W. V. Stumer (optician, 2 Octagon), thus conserving good vision tor pld Age. Ad A Vt 'E J Blakeley and W. E. Bagley, dentists, Bank of Australasia, corner of. Bond and Rattray streets (next Telegraph Office) Telephone 12-359.—Advt. New lines to hand: Shavex, Liquid Nail Polish, Is; Tangee Lip Sticks. Is; Fausta, new French Face Powder* Is 6d; sample Combs to suit everybody; Wave Setters, Is a card of six.—H. L. Sprosen, chemists, corner Octagon and George street, leading toilet specialists, agents for Zann Pile Cure.—Advt. , Pishing -Rod Varnish, Is 2d bottl® posted; Varnish your rod now.—Barth Electrical Supplies, Ltd.,-. 56 Prince* street, Dunedin. —Advt. To see well, see us.—Peter Dick, jewellers, watchmakers, and op.ticians, 490 Moray place. Dunedin.—Advt.